Sheep sent in to tackle giant hogweed plants in Macduff
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A FLOCK of woolly warriors has been tasked with ridding an area of woodland of giant hogweed plants.
Sheep were sent into the strip of woodland along the river beyond the Macduff Distillery by the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative to munch away giant hogweed plants growing alongside the River Deveron.
The sheep were originally introduced to the area as part of a hogweed grazing trial last spring and have now returned to re-commence their work after a well-earned winter break.
The idea is to develop a sustainable, non-chemical, approach to hogweed control. The results from the first year are very promising. The sheep developed a taste for giant hogweed leaves and grazed the plants to the extent that they effectively suppressed hogweed growth across the site.
There are fewer sheep on site in 2020 compared to last year to avoid overgrazing impacts detected in the monitoring of the 2019 season.
Karen Muller, project officer for the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative, said: “We are really pleased with how the first year of the trial has gone.
"The sheep did what we hoped they would do and ate away at the giant hogweed plants with no ill-effects.
"We have made a few adjustments this year and will continue to monitor closely how this season goes.
"The trial is only possible through the support of the community – both the farmer who we are working with on site and local people acting responsibly while walking in the woods - and we really appreciate the help given to our team to allow this. Hopefully, in time, we can look to clear the site of the dangerous giant hogweed to make it safer for everyone to enjoy.”
Many walkers continue to use the site and are welcome to do so, but are being reminded to be aware of the sheep and act responsibly – including by keeping dogs on leads.
Anyone wanting further information about the trial can read the summary case study on the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative website at https://www.invasivespecies.scot/giant-hogweed-and-sheep-trial, or can contact local project officer Karen Muller on KarenMuller@deveron.org or 07483 319448.
